Legacy: President George H.W. Bush

Former President George H.W. Bush’s passed away at 94 years old last evening.  News of his death has polarized the nation.  The reactions run from sorrowful to  downright disrespectful- depending on what source is reporting. However, regardless of which side of that coin you are on, one thing that cannot be denied is his legacy.

Legacy

At 94 years old, George H.W. Bush packed a lot of living into his years. He was a young Navy pilot in World War II, a Texas congressman, a CIA director, and vice president to Ronald Reagan – all before assuming the highest position in the land as the 41st POTUS. He was the patriarch of a political dynasty that included one son who served as president, another as a governor and a grandson who currently holds statewide office in Texas.

Influence

President Bush held worldwide influence for most of his adult life- either directly or indirectly. The global contacts he cultivated as a public servant assisted him later in life as he navigated a terse aftermath of the Cold War. These contacts helped him again when Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait in 1990 as he methodically assembled an international coalition to push them back. These are just the incidents we know about. We may never know his true impact on the global stage because President Bush was notoriously methodical with how he exercised his diplomacy. However, what we can attest to is his powerful legacy, and that should be honored regardless of your particular brand of politics.

Legacy… that is a word that we ponder on a lot at Respected Roots.

Times are changing everyday, and it seems that there are two types of people in the world: those who grab life by the horns, and those who are gorged by the horns. It sounds harsh, but reality can often be harsh.

So as we ponder the life of a political titan, ask ourselves, what will our legacy be? How will we leave our mark on the world? How will people remember us? We only have one life to live so let’s live it with purpose!